Friday, July 18, 2008

We Love Aaron!

There were so many highlights from our trip to Utah - but one was definitely spending a little time with Aaron McCargo, Jr. from the Next Food Network Star, and his wife Kimberly, who traveled from New Jersey for the wedding festivities. What a great, down-to-earth couple. Kelsey has only had wonderful things to say about Aaron and he definitely didn't disappoint. Ryan wants to be a chef someday and was thrilled to meet Aaron and score a few autographs. Now that Kelsey's out of the competition Aaron is our favorite by a long shot. We're all rooting for you, Big Daddy!


Also, a big thanks to Lewis who whipped up a batch of Aaron's Potatoes for dinner one night. I could gain five pounds just thinking about them. They were fabulous and the plate piled high was definitely picture-worthy.

Bacon Wrapped Potato with Honey Scallion Sauce
Courtesy of NFNS, Aaron McCargo Jr.

2 large Idaho potatoes
Canola oil, for frying (about 2 cups)
16 slices applewood smoked bacon
32 toothpicks
1/4 cup softened butter
1/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped scallions
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

1. Cut each potato into 8 wedges and parboil until fork tender.

2. In a preheated large saute pan, heat oil on medium-high heat. Wrap each potato wedge with 1 strip of bacon and secure with 1 toothpick on each end. Pan-fry in oil until bacon and potato are golden brown, approximately 8 to 10 minutes, turning frequently with tongs to brown all sides evenly. Remove and drain on paper towels.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix butter, honey, black pepper, scallions and parsley. Stir with a spoon until fully mixed.

4. Toss potatoes in the glaze. Remove toothpicks and serve.

5 comments:

Panda Queen said...

They were soooo good too... It really stinks that I had to have strep throat THAT night... : (

Betsy said...

Both Aaron and the potatoes were unreal. SO aweseome!! I just need to learn the correct parboiling technique. . .

Amyhop said...

I have no idea what parboiling is but those potatoes look REALLY good! It sounds like a great vacation!

tamara said...

We are so glad you are back in the blogging world and sharing some fun new recipes for us to try. Sounds like you had an amazing time. It's always fun to get together with family for these fun occasions!

Julie E. said...

I would describe parboiling as boiling the potatoes until they are not crunchy buy still firm and able to hold their shape. Don't let them start to get too soft and tender or they will fall apart when you take them out of the water. Lewis drained them and then put them in ice water until we were ready to wrap them in the bacon. Em, does Lewis know how long he boiled the potatoes for?